Observer
When you first look at the word and this image, you might begin to make connection between the two thinking that an observer is somebody who objectively inspects the world, targeting the most important aspects of it to draw conclusions. This, however, would be only a part of the larger picture and meaning of an observer, which,at the same time, can be explained through the same image.
Imagine an observer as a red circle. So, an observer is located in the very center of his surroundings and is able to inspect everything around him clearly and easily. However, the red circle is not completely alone and separated. It is surrounded by a number of other, larger circles. Consequently, these larger circles shape what and how the red circle can see.
Similarly, as Jonathan Crary argues in his book “Techniques of the Observer”, an observer has much deeper meaning than
mere inspector. Observer is the product of layersof various influences that form and shape vision. Every person living in a
society is a “red circle” surrounded by their own “black circles”: social norms and customs, education, etc.. Machines and
technological devices create one of the largest “black circles”. As Jonathan Crary argues, various devices have been shaping
vision and perception of the world, also contributing to social construct of the observer.
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